30-Minute Mozzarella Cheese
Learn how to make your own fresh mozzarella cheese in your own kitchen in just 30 minutes with this easy to follow, step-by-step tutorial.
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/2 C. cool water
- 1 gal raw milk avoid UHT pasteurized
- 1/4 tsp liquid rennet or 1/4 rennet tablet, diluted in 1/4 C. cool unchlorinated water
- 1 tsp cheese salt
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
- Dissolve the citric acid in the cool water. Place your milk in a large pot. Mix your rennet with 1/4 C. cool water.
Heat the Milk:
- Gently heat the milk to 55 degrees F (13 degrees C) in a large pot. Add the citric acid and stir thoroughly to combine.
Add the Rennet:
- Heat the milk to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rennet with an up and down motion for 30 seconds. Cover the pot and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Cut the Curd:
- The curd should be easy to cut with a clear line separating curd and whey. If the curd is too soft, allow to sit for an additional 5 minutes. Cut the curd with a knife, like a checkerboard pattern. Make sure you cut to the bottom of the pot.
Heat the Curds:
- Place the pot on the stove, and heat the curds on low heat to 105 degrees F (or 40 degrees C). Gently move the curds around with a spoon as they heat. Remove the curds from the heat and stir for an additional 2-5 minutes (longer for a firmer cheese).
Drain the Curd:
- Scoop the curds out with a slotted spoon and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Pour off as much whey as possible into a separate pot.
Heat the Curds to Stretch:
- Microwave the curds on high for one minute. Drain off the whey. Knead the cheese gently to distribute the heat (wearing gloves helps for this).
- *If you do not have a microwave: Heat the reserved whey on the stove top to 175 degrees F. Add 1/4 C. cheese salt to the whey. Dip the mozzarella into the whey for several seconds until softened, then stretch. Use caution, the whey is hot!
Stretch and Salt:
- Microwave the curds twice more at 35 seconds each time. Dump the excess whey and add salt to taste after the second session. Knead the mozzarella until smooth and elastic - after the second microwave it should stretch.
- If the curds break and stop stretching, place back in the microwave to reheat for 15-20 second sessions.
Shape the Cheese:
- While the cheese is smooth, roll it into small balls and enjoy. Or shape and place in a bowl of ice water to drop the temp down quickly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy - you may choose to store in a tightly covered container, or covered by salted whey. Salted whey or water will soften the cheese over time.